Spinning a yarn with eco-warrior Neerja Palisetty

The saying ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’ rings true for Neerja Palisetty. As a young girl, she was intrigued by her father’s work as a textile designer, and soon, it was all she longed to do. She was in standard 7 when she wove raw jute and cotton into yarn for a school project, ultimately creating a pouch for her pencils. After completing her clothing and textiles graduate course at Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, Palisetty pursued a post-graduation course at Nottingham Trent University. She, however, says that the greatest learning she ever received about her craft has come from her father.

After working as a merchandiser and then a design educator, Palisetty finally decided to fulfil her dream of opening her own weaving studio, and established Sutrakaar Creations in 2016 in Jaipur. But, of course, the road to fulfilling your dream is never easy. “One of the main challenges was to understand what to create, and which market to cater to. Getting weavers on board was another major task. Many months on, I’m still struggling, the challenges have not ceased to exist,” she says.

Palisetty focuses on paper weaving in her studio. She says that while few people in India do it, it’s not a new trend. “Paper weaving is an ancient Japanese practice. We use waste paper to make fashion accessories like purses and handbags, décor pieces like wall art, rugs, lamp shades, and stationery products like pen stands, diaries, sketchbooks, etc. Our studio’s concept is sustainability. Each product is handmade, we don’t even use electricity in the process.”

Having brought up to be considerate of nature and the resources available to her, it’s no surprise that Palisetty envisioned an environmentally friendly venture. . She employs two full-time weavers at the studio, who she found by word of mouth. “I was teaching design, so I had a few contacts there. I also visited nearby villages, spoke to several people, and finally got brought weavers on-board.” The studio sources its upcycled paper from the myriad handmade paper factories in Jaipur and reliable raddiwalas.

Palisetty says that after reaching this far, knowing that now she can definitely go further is the biggest inspiration for her to look ahead. The fact that her weavers and their families depend on the studio for their livelihood is another motivation. “Also, creating something that we’re passionate about keeps us going. It never occurred to us to stop doing what we did.”

Despite the humble beginning, Sutrakaar Creations has steadily gained a loyal following and customer base. . “When we started, it was just family and friends who bought our products,” laughs the young entrepreneur. Gradually, Palisetty started participating in exhibitions across the state. The studio also has its products listed on online platforms. “People are a little sceptical about the material and durability of her products when shopping online. They think that paper products are brittle, and will not last. But what they should know is that paper, once spun and woven, is one of the most resilient materials out there,” she says.

With every day brining in a different learning experience for her and her team, Palisetty says entrepreneurship has given her the confidence to achieve what she sets her mind to. Going ahead, she wants to branch out into creating new product ranges, and sell her goods across the world. “In that manner, I hope to get people to use more sustainable products on a daily basis. It’s a challenge, but the more people use upcycled paper products, the better it will be for the environment,” she signs off.